On Its 50th Anniversary, Watch JFK's 'We Choose to Go to the Moon' Speech

On September 12, 1962, President Kennedy made an inspiring case for space exploration and putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Speaking at Rice University, where he was an honorary visiting professor, Kennedy explained, "I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency. " Indeed, the U.S. tripled the budget for space exploration between 1961 and 1962, and on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 made history. NASA has posted the full video, which you can watch below, and the transcript of the speech is available via the John F. Kennedy Library here.